Hello and welcome to Hoi’s Manga Corner! Some of these selections may not be everyone’s cup of tea and that’s the point. In order to remain as diverse as possible with the recommendations, I do my best to reach out to different preferences in hopes that someone can find something they like. Additionally, I try to include series a little less popular because many of the mainstream online readers or scanlation groups have those at the front page, advertising the popularity and views. The keyword there is “try”. Below, the titles listed are The Rule Breaker, Back in Time to You, Danganronpa Gaiden: Killer Killer, Murciélago, and The Strongest Girl. They’re a mix of genres including, but not limited to shounen, action, romance, shoujo, and mystery.

Title: The Rule Breaker (噬规者)
Author: Chang Guo Peng & Chen Geng
Genre: Fantasy, Action, Shounen, Supernatural

The story follows the main character whose name is Ryan – an upbeat and optimistic cop trying to get a crackdown on a mysterious case. After witnessing an even more mysterious murder, he goes undercover to find out more. Unfortunately for him, there’s a completely different dimension of demons and spirits to greet him as he digs in deeper. At first, it scares the living shit out of him. After some coaxing and informative lectures from the people he was investigating in the first place, the discovery only drives his sense of justice, utilizing the newfound power and knowledge to his advantage.

There’s a gratuitous amount of martial arts fighting and action with the more than occasional cheesy one liners and exclamations. Even so, it is a fun read and time killer – it’s enjoyable. The Rule Breaker has a variety of title translations including “To Break the Original Rules” and “Autophagy Regulation”. It’s unclear which is closer to the actual intended meaning, but I don’t speak any form or dialect of Chinese so we’re a little screwed on that end. Personally, I wouldn’t take the title too seriously except as an attempt to give prospective readers an idea of what to expect. Sort of. The art gets progressively better, so don’t let the first few chapters fool you into not giving it a try! It gives off a familiar Shonen Jump style that may be reminiscent of Fairy Tail at times.

This work is translated by White Cloud Pavilion (previously known as Archangel Scans). Of course, support the author by buying an original copy of their work or purchasing through an accredited publisher.

Title: Back in Time to You (멈춰진 시간 속에서)
Author: Indigo
Genre: Supernatural, Shounen-ai/Boys Love, School Life

After moving into a new home with his father, Yeon-Ho discovers a hidden attic in the house not specified in the blueprints. There, he stumbles upon a room full of dusty belongings, a small bed, and a Victorian style rotary telephone. Soon, he discovers that this was the room that belonged to Jae-Ha, a deceased friend he held close to his heart. This discovery only served to bring back old memories he wanted to repress and the heartache Yeon-Ho felt knowing he couldn’t prevent the events that took place that fateful day. That and coupled by the untimely divorce of his parents have led him to become somewhat bitter and resentful of his family. It is a sweet and tragic love story that follows the desire to change the past. It parallels the idea of people being able to communicate with their deceased loved ones with a bit of a twist, of course. Keyword: alternative universe.

Back in Time to You is available to read in the original Korean language at Lezhin Comics. However, it is translated by an independent translator who goes by the name of Kuroba and can be read at certain online manga readers. Of course, support the author by buying an original copy of their work or purchasing through an accredited publisher.

Title: Danganronpa Gaiden: Killer Killer
Author: Mitomo Sasako
Genre: Drama, Supernatural, Mystery

A spin-off of the main Danganronpa story, Killer Killer follows the trail of two main characters for the most part – rookie investigator Misaki Asano and veteran Takumi Hijirihara who work for Japan’s Special Crime Investigation unit (CSI), an agency that focuses on abnormal and often violent cases. The latter character is skilled in his work, hence the title and time spent in the workforce. On the other hand, Asano is a presumptuous, but well-meaning individual with her drive to do what is right. While she may not do well in the presence of blood and gore, the determination to make a difference guides her along. Not only does Asano have to unwillingly partner up with Hijirihara, the very first case takes a literal meaning to “idols”, involving an individual playing doll-maker with corpses, and the threat to a singer’s life.

Killer Killer is being translated by High School Level Scanlations in collaboration with Not Equal Scans for some chapters. Of course, support the author by buying an original copy of their work or purchasing through an accredited publisher.

Title: Murciélago (ムルシエラゴ)
Author: Yoshimura Kana
Genre: Adult, Action, Mature, Yuri

A female duo are the main characters of Murciélago. One of them is Koumori Kuroko, a serial killer for hire by the Japanese police force in order to try and quell the rampant violence within the country. She also happens to be a figurative lady killer. The other is her “partner in crime”, Tozakura Hinako, who serves as a close eye, informant, and chauffeuse for the before-mentioned individual. Hinako has a crazy driving record with the ability to maneuver her Lamborghini Murciélago atop building complexes and down narrow alleys. She’s intrepid and determined, flaunting a seemingly innocent demeanor. This series is graphic in gore, violence, dubious circumstances of sexual and/or violent nature, and sex between women. There are a variety of story arcs and villains to follow – from serial killers who take off the skin of victims from the neck up, to a cult that sacrifices young women in a pool of blood.

This work is being translated by CXC Scans. Of course, support the author by buying an original copy of their work or purchasing through an accredited publisher.

Title: The Strongest Girl (최강그녀)
Author: Team Sae-Mi
Genre: Comedy, Shoujo, Romance, Supernatural

The Strongest Girl follows the story of Jin Sae-Mi: a cheerful, adorable, and clumsy high school student with a very atypical secret for her age – she is the strongest girl on Earth. However, the biggest problem she is worried about is curating and maintaining interpersonal relationships, especially the one with her childhood friend and crush. Not only does she have an unexplained superpower, her crush (Young-Min) is strictly a believer of science and empirical evidence. How does she explain herself without scaring him off? How does she control that strength and refrain from accidentally destroying everything around her? With only a handful of chapter translated into English, it’s difficult to see where this story might head. Quite possiblly, there are challengers hoping to see how strong she really is and not only test her, but themselves as well. The art style is well done, cute, and very shoujo-esque. Every chapter is colored wonderfully.

Currently, the series is being translated by the collaboration of two groups – UMR Scans and Fred Friendly. The original comic in Korean can be read at Comic GT. Of course, support the author by buying an original copy of their work or purchasing through an accredited publisher.

So, fellow manga readers, which series will you be checking out first? If you’ve already read any of them, any thoughts or opinions? Feel free to let us know in the comments section below what your favourite genre is! To stay up to date on the latest news in the gaming world, follow us on Facebook and Twitter! For more manga recommendations from Don’t Feed the Gamers, check out the selections for the previous months!

• February Manga Recommendations – Adu of Hades, Darwin’s Game, Moritat, and What Does the Fox Say?
• March Manga Recommendations – Ayanashi, Black Torch, Myth Front, and Ryle & Louis